Cambozola blue cheese has the rich flavor of Gorgonzola with the lovely gooey texture of Camembert.  The off-white interior offers striking blue veins.  It’s a cheese that’s growing in popularity because of its creamy texture and buttery, slightly tangy flavors.

This grilled cheese sandwich uses fig jam to compliment the delicious sharpness of the blue cheese.  The mayonnaise adds to the comfort level of an already comforting dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. mayonnaise
• 2 slices white sandwich bread
• 1 Tbsp. fig jam
• 3 thin slices of Cambozola cheese

Directions:

1. Heat up Panini press or a grill pan over high heat.
2. Spread 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise on one side of each bread slice.
3. Spread the fig jam on the un-mayonnaised side of one bread slice.
4. Arrange the Cambozola slices over the jam.
5. Top the Cambozola with the un-mayonnaised side of the second bread slice so that both mayoed sides are on the outside and the goodies are on the inside.
6. Place the sandwich in the Panini press and grill for 3 minutes.  Alternatively, place the sandwich on the grill pan (still on high heat) and top with the weight of multiple pans or a pan with a 2-3 pound weight in it and cook 1 1/2 minutes per sides.
7. Transfer sandwich to a cutting board and cut sandwich diagonally using a serrated knife.

1 serving.

My grandma used to make my sister and me peanut butter and banana grilled sandwiches in a cast iron contraption when we were kids.  This contraption, an early version of a Panini press, had long handles that could be flipped on the stovetop until the bread was perfectly browned and gorgeous.  I miss those days and decided to sort of recreate the sandwich using my modern day Panini press and a little twist – Nutella!

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. softened butter
• 2 slices whole wheat bread (I like oatmeal and whole wheat for this)
• 2 Tbsp. chunky peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp. Nutella
• ½ ripe banana, sliced

Directions:

1. Heat up Panini press or a grill pan over high heat.
2. Spread 1 teaspoon of butter on one side of each bread slice.
3. Spread the peanut butter on the unbuttered side of one bread slice.
4. Spread Nutella on the unbuttered side of the second bread slice then arrange the banana slices over Nutella.
5. Top the Nutella/banana slice with the peanut butter slice so that the buttered side of each bread slice is on the outside and the goodies are on the inside.
6. Place the sandwich in the Panini press and grill for 3 minutes.  Alternatively, place the sandwich on the grill pan (still on high heat) and top with the weight of multiple pans or a pan with a 2-3 pound weight in it and cook 1 1/2 minutes per sides.
7. Transfer sandwich to a cutting board and cut sandwich diagonally using a serrated knife.

1 serving.

Every summer, I go to Maine for a long weekend.  I’ve done this since the year I was born, and my parents did this with their families growing up.  It’s what we Quebecois do in the summer – drive to the nearest beach, get some sun and eat seafood.

This summer when I drove up to Maine, I had three foodie goals in mind in the spirit of traditions: beach pizza, boardwalk fries and a lobster roll.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to make it to the lobster roll shack and have had this craving ever since.

While at the grocery store Saturday, I saw New England-style hot dog buns with the top split.  In Quebec, where I grew up, all the hot dogs are top split, but after moving to the USA in the late 80s, I quickly discovered that hot dogs are mostly side split with crust on all around.  When I saw the New England-style buns, I just knew I’d be taking advantage of them by filling them with decadent lobster salad.  Here’s how simple and quick it is to make lobster rolls.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup chopped celery
• 4 Tbsps. good quality mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 heavy pinch each, salt and pepper
• 2 small lobster tails, cooked and roughly chopped
• 2 New England-style hot dog buns
• 2 tsps. room-temperature butter

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the celery, mayo, lemon juice and salt and pepper.  Add the lobster meat and gently coat the meat with the mayo mixture using a fork.
2. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  While the skillet is heating up, butter the crustless sides of each hot dog bun.  Add the buns to the hot skillet and grill each buttered side to a deep golden brown.  Remove from the skillet and open up each bun.
3. Divide the lobster salad into two portions.  Scoop each portion into a bun and pack in tightly using the back of the fork.

Makes two lobster rolls.

Notes:  Cooked lobster tails can be found in the seafood section of your local grocery store.  If you can’t find cooked lobster tails and don’t feel like cooking some, you could replace with canned lobster meat or even with lump crab meat.

Opa Burger

If you follow my blog, you must know by now that I love Greek food, and wines.  I try to incorporate typical Greek flavors in many of the food I make and when it came time to create a special burger to pair for a wine tasting, I opted for a Greek version of the American classic.

Burger Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground lamb
• 2 Tbsps. fresh mint, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• ½ tsp. each, salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsps. olive oil, preferably Greek
• 4 small pita pocket bread, often referred by the name Pitettes, sliced in halves horizontally

Topping ingredients:

• 8-ounce block of Halloumi cheese, cut into 8 slices then lightly coated in olive oil
• 8 tsps. Tzatziki sauce, homemade or store-bought
• 1 heirloom tomato, cut into 4 slices

Directions:

1. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the lamb, mint, garlic, salt and pepper and form into four medium patties. Be sure not to overwork the meat causing it to be tough after grilling.
3. Lightly coat the four patties with the olive oil, and then grill for 3 minutes on each side.
4. While lamb patties are grilling, place the eight slices of Halloumi cheese on the grill and sear for one minute on each side.
5. Lightly toast each of the Pitettes halves on the grill.
6. To assemble, place a lamb patty on a Pitette half, top the meat with two teaspoons of Tzatziki sauce, 2 slices of Halloumi and a slice of tomato. Top with another Pitette half.  Assemble the remaining three burgers.

Makes 4 burgers.

Notes:  Halloumi cheese is ideal for this burger but it can be replaced with crumbled Feta if unavailable.  There are many good quality Tzatziki sauces in the supermarket deli section, so don’t pass on making this burger because you don’t want to make a homemade batch.

Strawberry season’s in full force and I can’t think of anyone who loves the little red gems more than my sister, Josée.  When her and her family visited me in New Jersey last, I, of course, had bought strawberries for her.  To my delight, my two nieces have inherited her love for strawberries and here’s a quick but special treat she fixed them one morning.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices white bread (could use whole wheat)
• 2 Tbsps. Nutella, hazelnut spread
• 4 large strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Toast the bread.
2. Spread 1 tablespoon of Nutella on each slice of toasted bread.
3. Cover each Nutella-coated toast with the slices from 2 strawberries.

Makes 2 treats.

I sometimes post whimsical recipes that remind me of my early childhood, and this is definitely one of those recipes.

Growing up in Quebec, Canada, my grand-parents owned a lake house the family spent much of its summers.  The place was straight out of the late 50s, totally kitschy and I loved it.  One of the things I loved most about it was spending time with my grandma in the kitchen, and watching her turn the most basic and affordable of ingredients into something prize-worthy.  One of these treats was her strawberries and cream sandwiches, and I’m sharing the concept with you so you can enjoy it with your families.

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe strawberries
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 4 slices of fresh, white bread

Directions:

1. In a small, shallow bowl, mash the strawberries with a fork (in this day and age, we might call this muddling).
2. Add the cream and sugar to the strawberries and continue mashing with the fork until fully blended into a thick mixture.
3. Spoon the strawberry mixture onto a slice of bread then top with the second slice.  Repeat this process with the two remaining slices of bread.
4. Cut each sandwich into two triangles (wouldn’t taste the same if you cut across) and enjoy!

Makes two sandwiches.

Notes: Only use the freshest bread and the ripest strawberries for this recipe.  Would be amazing with raspberries, but would need to double the sugar amount.

Paprika and Tarragon Chicken and Egg Salad Mini Sandwiches

Mini Chicken & Egg Salad Sandwiches

It’s Friday, the day before my weekly trip to the grocery store, so here we go with the typical “There’s nothing to eat in this house” complaints from my guy.  As you’ll see from the picture of this dish, these small sandwiches could be great at a holiday party or for a luncheon.

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken breast, either from leftovers or poached, then cut into bit-size pieces
• Pinch of salt & pepper
• ½ tsp dried tarragon
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp finely chopped onion
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp lightly toasted pine nuts
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 Pepperidge Farm Stone Baked Artisan Rolls, baked and sliced in halves horizontally

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, carefully combine the chicken, spices, celery, onion, mayo and pine nuts.  Gently fold in the egg ensuring not to over stir resulting in mushy egg.
2. Scoop ½ of the mixture onto each roll.

Serves 2.

This is the 4th installment in the “There’s Nothing to Eat in this House” series (see part 1 here: http://bit.ly/dbucAf part 2 here: http://bit.ly/cJX6t2 and part 3 here: http://bit.ly/aTfRKI).

Chicken Panini

This sandwich is a favorite of my guy, so I’ve named it after him.  Don’t have a Panini press?  Don’t fret, use my technique.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut horizontally into 4 thin slices
• 1 tbs blackened seasoning (I use Cajun Classics Blackened Seasonings by Spice World)
• 1 medium fresh mozzarella ball cut into 8 slices
• 2 fresh sandwich rolls (I use Portuguese rolls from my local deli)
• 1tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 large roasted sweet peppers, cut into narrow strips
• 8 fresh basil leaves

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a grill pan over high heat (or heat up Panini press).
2. Spread blackened seasoning over chicken breast slices, and rub in to help adhere.  Place chicken breasts in the grill pan, turn heat to medium-high, and cook for 3 minutes on each side.
3. Arrange mozzarella slices on each breast and continue cooking for 2 minutes until cheese begins to melt.
4. In a small bowl, combine vinegar and roasted pepper strips to marinate them slightly.
5. Using a serrated knife, cut each roll in half horizontally.  Coat the 4 exterior sides with 1 tbs olive oil.
6. Place a chicken breasts on each roll bottom, distribute roasted pepper strips over the chicken and cheese, top with basil leaves and roll tops.
7. Place the two sandwiches in a Panini press and grill for 3 minutes.  Alternatively, place the sandwiches in the grill pan (still on medium-high heat) and top with the weight of multiple pans or a pan with a 2-3 pound weight in it and cook 1 1/2 minutes per sides.  See my technique.
8. Transfer sandwiches to a cutting board and cut each sandwich in diagonal pieces using a serrated knife.

2 servings.